


Caramel

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Category: Fringe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-18
Updated: 2010-07-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 16:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/101560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Astrid never knew what to expect going into the lab, and that was part of the fun with working in Fringe Division.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caramel

Astrid never knew what to expect going into the lab, and that was part of the fun with working in Fringe Division. She had studied a lot of different things, and knew people with various areas of expertise. Everyone had told her that she was wasting her time, but apparently, her voracious consumption of eclectic information had paid off.

Today, something was cooking over a bunsen burner. Walter often had odd things over a burner, and liked to put various concoctions together. His enjoyment of all drugs was probably part of his charm, even if sometimes he was completely off his rocker. Walter looked up as Astrid came into the lab and grinned. "Astro! Just the girl I wanted to see!"

"Astrid," she said for the thousandth time. As always, her words slid right past Walter's consciousness into some kind of ether. She took off her coat and gloves, then carefully unwound her scarf. Walter was bouncing around from one part of the lab bench to the other, carefully monitoring the concoction over the bunsen burner. "What are you making?"

"My own special blend of caramel." Walter beamed at her as he pulled out a tray with dozens of tiny oddly shaped things on it. "Here. I thought you might like it, Aster. They're sweet, but not too sweet. Just like you."

He didn't mean anything by it, of course. He couldn't. He was just being Walter, and didn't realize he was even complimenting her.

But his hand lingered over hers just a fraction too long as he was passing her the candy. His eyes lingered on her mouth and tongue as she tasted the candy, sweet with just a little bit of an edge to it. He looked almost anxious, waiting on her response to his efforts. "Does it taste good?" he asked, leaning in close. "I'd imagine it tastes like you. If you were a candy. But you're not, Astrid, I know that," he said hastily. Almost as if he had just realized he was standing too close, he returned to his bunsen burners. "I know things. I know a lot of things, and most of them even make sense, you know."

Astrid reached out and touched his arm gently. "I know, Walter. You're a good man."

Something in his expression broke. "No, I'm not." He turned away and took up one of his caramels. "But this! This is good. Sweet, but not too sweet. Not so saccharine that your teeth would rot, just the thing to chew on and suck on while you're thinking. I like sucking on things," he said absently, adjusting the flame beneath one bubbling beaker. "It's calming."

"Walter?" Astrid asked, coming closer. "Are you all right?"

He looked at her with a blank expression. "I like you, Astrid. I do. You're a sweet girl. Rather like these caramels, don't you think?"

Astrid closed her hand over Walters, and he squeezed her hand tightly. "And what kind of candy would you be? What taste would you have?"

He gave her a naughty grin. "Want to find out?"

Laughing, Astrid edged closer. Her heart was pounding; he couldn't possibly mean it that way, could he? "Maybe I do."

Their kiss was soft and tentative, more of an exploration to see if either of them meant to take this past subtle flirtation. When Astrid pulled back, Walter had a goofy grin on his face. "You do taste like caramel. I like that."

"I don't think I caught what you taste like," she replied, a slow grin on her face. "Maybe I need to try again. You know, experiment a bit."

"Oh. I like experimentation. You never know what the outcome is going to be."

"Exactly."

Hours later, Astrid decided that Walter tasted like dark chocolate.


End file.
